World AIDS Day 2010 Universal Access and Human Rights

BY Keoi Magill, ACHS Graduate Certificate in Aromatherapy

World AIDS Day is December 1 and this year’s theme is Universal Access and Human Rights. More than 25 million people have died from AIDS since its first discovery in 1981 and by the end of 2006, women accounted for 48% of all living adults with HIV. There are currently 2.1 million children that are living their lives with HIV.

HIV is not just a disease of the past and should not be forgotten. Each and every day there are approximately 6,000 young people worldwide between the ages of 15-24 being diagnosed with HIV. Sadly, for these people, every day is AIDS Day.

First and foremost, a holistic approach to AIDS education is needed to remove the stigma of shame that surrounds those who have contracted HIV. The body’s immune system becomes compromised from the disease. Then other diseases step in and ravage the body. Stress and worry can escalate the entire process.

Taking a holistic approach may improve quality of life. Providing access to holistic medical care, that includes diet education, relaxation and training in meditation techniques may also help to slow the advances of AIDS and support reduced stress and anxiety.

Universal access to education and support by respecting all human rights is holistic in its inception and principal. For those of us, who are working and interested in the holistic approach to our lives now is the time to educate ourselves, our clients, friends and family to the truths regarding AIDS. There is no known cure for AIDS and the number of new cases continues to rise.

Take the opportunity to educate yourself about AIDS Day and help support the year-round fight to stop the spread of HIV. There are many resources available on the web. To get started, you may want to check out the World AIDS Day website (http://www.worldaidsday.org) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website (http://nccam.nih.gov) for more information about current research into using CAM protocols with AIDS.

Reference:
Ironson G, Hayward H. (2008). Do positive psychosocial factors predict disease progression in HIV-1? A review of the evidence. Psychosom Med, 70(5):546-54.

Help Support Your Kid's Health Naturally

Fall is all around. As the leaves change bright colors and the air turns crisp, winter bugs can sneak up on us*. And when someone in your family is sick, everyone suffers! You want to do something to help them, but what?

There are many natural remedies you can try to help support healthy immune function*. Here are some tips for parents and caregivers from ACHS adjunct instructor Deborah Halvorson, BA, Dip Aroma, RA, who says, “I've never used over-the-counter cold remedies with my kids, just herbs and essential oils, and when the colds start going around, my kids generally get over it much quicker than their friends and classmates.”

One of Deborah’s favorite cough recipes is vapor balm, which is a natural alternative to a VapoRub-type ointment. Here’s a recipe you can use to make vapor balm at home. The recipe has been adapted from Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathy Keville and Mindy Green.

Vapor Balm

1 cup Olive oil

3⁄4 oz. beeswax

1 1⁄2 tsp Eucalyptus (E. smithii) essential oil

1 tsp. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) essential oil

1⁄4 tsp Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct. linalool) essential oil

Directions: For children 2-10 years old, use Eucalyptus smithii and Thyme linalool; for older children and adults, E. globulus or E. radiata and Thyme ct. thymol can be used. For children ages 1-2 years, the above recipe can adapted using only the Eucalyptus smithii and leaving out the peppermint and thyme oils.

Melt beeswax and olive oil in top of double boiler. Allow to cool a bit and add essential oils. Pour into clean containers, label, and date. To use, rub a small amount on the child's chest.

For cold or flu with a fever, Deborah recommends a combination of lemon (Citrus limonum) and marjoram (Origanum marjorana) essential oils. Lemon may help reduce the fever, and marjoram traditionally has been used for respiratory infections and to help with sleep. To use these essential oils, blend 10 drops of lemon with 5 drops of marjoram; then add 1 drop of the blend into a warm bath before bedtime or nap time, or use the blend in a nebulizing diffuser.

If you child is experiencing nasal congestion or sinus infection, you can use essential oils with steam inhalation. For children older than 5, use the ratio of 3-5 drops of essential oil to 6 cups of water. To make the inhalation, boil the water and pour into a bowl, and then add the essential oils. Have the child inhale the steam, and be sure to remind them to keep their eyes closed and their face 8-12 inches from the bowl.

To use steam inhalation with children younger than 5, do not have them directly inhale the steam. Rather, place the bowl in the room with the child, and the essential oils will disperse into the air through the steam.

Essential oils typically considered effective and safe for use with children include:

• Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica): An expectorant that may strengthen the immune system and have a calming/sedative action.
• Frankincense (Boswellia carteri): Traditionally an immune system stimulant that may also help with cough.
• Manuka/New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium): Traditionally used with bronchial congestion/bronchitis, sinus congestion/sinusitis, and has been shown to inhibit the growth of streptococcus (bacteria that cause strep throat) as well as bacteria that cause pneumonia. .
• Marjoram (Origanum majorana): An expectorant that may be helpful for respiratory infections and sinusitis, and is thought to have a calming action.
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Traditionally used with respiratory infections and sinusitis (may be stimulating; do not use before bedtime).
• Peppermint (Mentha x piperita): Frequently used with sinusitis and bronchitis. *Should not be used with children younger than 2.

If your child is willing to drink tea, a warm tea with honey (no honey for children younger than 12 months) can be soothing and comforting. Deborah recommends lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) for use with fever and to help calm fussy children. For use with coughs and achiness, lemon balm can also be combined with peppermint and chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

For more information, visit Cold and Flu--Just for Kids

*Always see your primary care physician for diagnosis. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. For informational purposes only. Not intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.

The antiviral activity of essential oils

BY Arianna Staruch, ND, ACHS Academic Dean

A recent study looked at preparing a nasal spray from the essential oil of bupleurum root (Radix bupleuri) and tested it in animals for effectiveness. It did show promise as a fever reducer. However, many essential oils can be irritating to mucus membranes and should not be used undiluted or without first doing a skin patch test.

So how can you use essential oil in your everyday life to help reduce to risk of viral infection? Essential oils can be used in the home as antiviral cleaning products. A diffuser with any of the oils listed above, such as eucalyptus, lemon balm, or peppermint, may reduce the airborne viruses in a room. In addition, essential oils may be added to hand creams to help reduce the spread of viruses by contact. Of course, these should be used in addition to the common sense CDC recommendations to wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose with your arm when you sneeze, and to stay home if you are sick. (You should see your primary care provider for a proper diagnosis if you think you may have the seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu, and follow their recommendations.) This fall may be a challenging time because there is the potential for many people to be sick with the flu at the same time, but we can use natural support options, such as essential oils, to keep us healthy.

>> Click here to read the full-length article about using essential oils to reduce the risk of viral infection

Natural diet and lifestyle tips to improve health and wellness

Dr. Arianna Staruch, ND, Academic Dean of the American College, led a talk called "Diet and Lifestyle Choices for Health" at the ACHS campus on Monday, July 13. From 6-7 p.m., Dr. Staruch talked about important holistic nutrition concepts, including food as fuel, and answered questions from the audience about how to incorporate holistic nutrition into our everyday lifestyle.

The complete lecture will be available on the ACHS YouTube channel soon, ACHStv. In the meantime, here are some highlights from Dr. Staruch's lecture:

Live your life as if your health depends on it…because it does! Making healthy lifestyle choices is a conscious act. That means, everyone is responsible for the choices they make: health does not happen automatically or because someone else wants you to make changes. We make healthy choices when good health is something we want and value.

How, then, do we promote good health once we recognize it as a priority?

1. Food provides energy for performing the activities of life.

Eating is not just something you do when you're hungry. Food fuels out bodies, because within the food itself (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) are the components our bodies use to generate energy, to grow and repair, and to fight invaders like toxins.

2. Balance your plate.

Finding a healthy balance of food (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) may be easier than you think. Split your plate into three sections. Then, fill half your plate with vegetables and salad; fill one-quarter of your plate with your protein (poultry, fish, beans, etc.); and fill the rest of your plate with whole grains (barley, pasta, etc.). Limit how much oil or salad dressing you use, which will help keep calories within limit.

3. Eat frequently.

Skipping meals can lead to increased production of hormones that cause muscle loss. Eat frequently. Three small meals and 2-3 snacks daily are recommended. To maintain stable blood sugar, which helps your body to regularly burn fuel throughout the day, you add a quality protein powder to your diet to achieve your "eat frequently" goal and to increase quality nutrient intake while decreasing calorie intake.

4. Know your calories.

Less activity means less calories burned. Excess calories are stored as fat. So remember, weight loss is the result of consuming less calories than you use.

5. Healthy tips for snacks.

• Tofu pate available pre-made
• Hummus
• Home-made salsa or pesto
• Healthy dippers: rye crackers, pita bread cut into four slices, and raw vegetables
• Rye crackers with nut butter
• Whole fruit
• Protein shake or bar
• 1 1/2c berries with 4 oz plain yogurt
• One slice of baked tofu
• Two string cheeses
  

6. Healthy tips for breakfast.

• The most important meal of the day
• Eat protein within one hour of waking
  
• Breakfast sets up your blood sugar control or lack of control for the day!
• Eat half your protein for breakfast, and eat one-quarter with lunch and one-quarter with dinner (daily requirements of protein are 50-70 g)

7. Healthy tips for lunch (beyond the sandwich).

• Vegetables at every meal in order to get your daily serving
  
• Don’t forget the protein
• Small amount of grains as crackers or cooked grains
• One-bowl meals like soups and stews

8. Healthy tips for dinner.

• Eating a large meal late at night is not good
• It is better to have a larger lunch and then a light dinner
• Reverse your typical lunch and dinner recipes
• Consider a tofu or egg scramble for dinner with a salad

9. Exercise prolongs life. How?

• Exercise improves mood
• Achieves calorie balance
• Promotes sustainable weight loss
• Strengthens heart and blood vessels
• Increases bone density
• Decreases risk for chronic conditions

>> For more information about the American College of Healthcare Sciences, and holistic health and nutrition classes, visit www.achs.edu

>> Click here to request more information from the American College

Children and Natural Medicine with Dr. Arianna Staruch, ND

Natural medicine works with the body's ability to heal itself, according to Dr. Arianna Staruch, ND, who spoke about using natural medicine with children at the American College of Healthcare Sciences on June 8. Natural medicine, Dr. Staruch further explained, helps removed obstacles to health, such as an unhealthy diet or stress, and then supports the body's ability to return to balance.

So, why use natural medicine with children? Teaching children to use natural medicine at a young age helps to establish healthy lifestyle choices through adulthood. In addition, natural medicine remedies are safe, natural supports for everyday problems like the common cold, ear infections, and bumps and bruises.

According to Dr. Staruch, a kid's job is to get sick. Infection is how the immune system learns what is good and bad, and how to respond. Natural medicine works with the body's natural processes to help build a strong immune system.

What does natural medicine include? When working with children, some of the primary natural medicine remedies include use of mild herbs, which can be made into teas, and homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy is based on the principle of "like cures like." A homeopathic remedy is an "extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water" (http://abchomeopathy.com/homeopathy.htm). For kids, homeopathics are easy to administer, safe, effective, and non-toxic, Dr. Staruch says. Here are some common homeopathics and their associated uses:

Arnica > for falls, bumps, and bruises
Aconite > First onset of cold
Arsenicum > Digestive upset and diarrhea; chilly; restless
Belladonna > Ear aches and fevers that come on suddenly

Recipe for Calming Tea for Kids
Cat Straw--4 tbs
Chamomile--2 tbs
Peppermint--1 tbs
Catnip--1 tbs

Cover the herbs with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for 15 minutes. Give one or more tablespoons as needed.

Click here to see a complete list of the American College's upcoming community workshops.

Spring allergy relief with natural remedies

Springtime allergies can put a damper on even the sunniest day. But—they don’t have to. If you’ve relied upon store-bought allergy medications in the past—and have been disappointed—this is the season for a more holistic approach to allergies.

Studies show that allergies are often a reaction to a combination of things. For many, budding spring plant life and pollen are irritants. But other, more hidden irritants include: food allergies, environmental irritants (such as, chemical-based cleaners, room sprays, and dryer sheets), and dust.

The good news: There are several alternative products and strategies you can use to sooth your allergies. The benefits: health tools like supplements, herbs, essential oils, and lifestyle modifications are natural, cost effective, and can work fairly quickly to bring relief.

Here are 8 tips for tackling your allergies naturally:

1. Incorporate native plants into your diet.
2. Eat 1-2 tablespoons of local, raw honey every morning.
3. Diffuse peppermint essential oil throughout your home and, or office.
4. Add fresh herbs to a hot bath and deeply breathe in the steam.
5. Take supplements, including: echinacea, goldenseal, and vitamin C.
6. Clean and dust regularly. You don’t have to use chemicals; a steam mop works great.
7. Exercise. Physical activity strengths the body and boosts immunity. Try to exercise outside in the early morning, before allergens kick up.
8. Facial massage is a simple way to relive pressure built-up in the sinus.

For more information about holistic nutrition or soothing allergies with homeopathic remedies, visit the Australasian College www.achs.edu.